Collapsible rack.



R. A. WILS,

GOLLAPSBLE RACK APPLXUM'IOH FILED JUNE le, 190s.

Patented Mar. 23, 1909 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

nvcnloz UOLLAPSIBLE RACK.

APPLIUA'MDN r um,l

JUNI] 13,1908.

Patented Mar. 22", 1909.

-40 through.

UNiTED STATES EATENT operon.

RQLAND i. WILSON, or ritira FLORIDA.

ooLLAPsiBLE naux. l,

i i i i i i "i No. 916,241. Specification o! liet-.ters Patent. ,Patenii March B3, 1909.

Application filed Juno 13, y1908. SerialNo. 438,404." 'i

To all 'whom 'it may concern: its full distance, and having secured `thereto a Beitsk-nown thatI, ROLAND A. WILSON, a *iexible covering. "j, citizen of the United States, residing at Referring to the'driiwiiig by numerals, l Tam a, in the countytof Hillsboro and State indicates a hase provided with a slotted bot- 60 f F orida, have invented certain new and to1n2 whit-.lilies the slats eoinprisiiigthe botuseful Improvements in Colla isible Racks; toni spaced apart, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. and-I do hereby declare the fol owing to be a A mir of' cross bracing rods 8 and 4 ere proull, clear, and exact description of the invenvided for base r1 for preventing any twisting tion, such as will enableI others skilled in the thereof. Projecting from Vbase 1 is a plural 65 `art to ywhich it appertains to make and use ity ol' upriglits 5-5 and Gmo. 'lhe u :rights the same. .5-5 are connected `by rods 7 and )ars or This invention relates to im roveinents in sto )s 8, while uprights 6 W6 are connected by racks and trucks, andpartieu arly to racks rodls 9 and bars 10. (.onnectingitlie respecand trucks having collapsible. shelving. tive uprights 5---5 and 6-6 are braces or 70 The object in view is the provision of a` cross rods 11 and 1L. lhc braces 11 and 12 rack either in the form of a stationary rack or rinly hold the upper end of uprights 5*-"5 a truck having collapsible shelves' arrano'ed and G in correctposition, and prevent any sothat the saine may be successivelfiy iiiled undue sagging thereof. liods 7 and 9 are and em tied, and during the filling and einpadapted to support a pluralit oi' collapsible 76 tying o `the shelves the shelves not being; 0pshelvcs 13 and hars or riumirs 8 and 1t) are erateduponbeing,Jr out of the way. used to prevcntthe artic es supportediby the Another object in view is the provision of a respective shelves from falling oli' the `ends rack having collapsible shelves arranged with thereof. rlhc respective shelves 13 Yare proa plurality of slats and flexible means for vided with aplurality of slats 14 connected 80 2.5 causing said slats to be spaced a specified dis* by a lexible member 15` as, for instance, a

tance apart when the shell is expanded. cord or small flexible cable inforder to ppi-p- A further object of the invention'is the erly space the respective bars 1.4 whciiwthc Aprovisionliof a rack formed with collapsible shelving has been expanded. Secured to thoshelves arranged to slide upon bars held by side slats 14 are fenders or guai-([3516 and 17 8v the frame of thi` rack and provided With that project above slats 14 and prevent the stops or guards upon each side form-eventim; accidental removal of anything placed upon accidental removal of an article upon the the shelf. These guards, together with shelving. guards 8 and 10 willleffeetually preinent any A still further object in view is the provi` accidental rciuoval from the shelfA in either 90 sion of a collapsible shell arranged with a direction. Each of the slats or bars 1.4 is flexible covering that collapses with the shelf provided withanapertnrc in each endithrough andexpands with tbosaine whereby a small which the respective rods 7 and 9 pass, as article may be placed upon the shelving clearly seen in Fig. 1, for supporting the without any danger of the saine falling thereshelf in position. The guards 16 and I7 95 preferablylall short of the ends of slats 14 Vlitli theseA and other objects in View the so as to iit in between the respective ilpinvention comprises certain novel construcrights 5-5 and SW6.

tions,coinbinations,and arrangeniontof parts Positioned upon each of the shelves Iltis a as will be hereinafter more fully described tlexible covering 18 that may be niadel'roui 100 `and claimed. canvas, wire netting, or other flexible mate- IIl the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is rial. The covering 18 is preferably secured a perspective view of a rack embodyingr the to the side of the shelving 'as at 1S) and 2U features of the present invention, and sliowthoug'li ii desired the saine may Abe siiuply ing certain of tlie shelves collapsed and others ilared loosely upon the shelves. It willalso 105 expanded. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a )e evident that the roveriiio may be removed framework forming part of the present inas shown iii Fig. 1 and the srhelvcs used.to ad vention. Fi f/ 3 is a cross section through vantage when the articles `laced thereon are one ofthe col apsible shelves, the same beine,r of considerable size, as or instance cigar shown partially expanded or extended. Fig. boxes. 110

4 is a cross sectional View through a collapsi'- The rack is adapted to 'be used as a stable shelf similar to l `ig.,3, butextended for tionary holder or rack or may be mounted upon wheels and be used as a truck, the rack feature being the important part.

'Whether used as a stationary rack or as a Whenit is truck the o )eration is the same. i desired to ll the rack with any desired ar ticle, as l'or instance, tobacco boxes that have Iiust been pasted for dr fing" all ol' the shelves j are pushed back or co la 'sed' and the boxes placed upon the slats or ottoni 2 until the same is covered. The first shell' from the bottom is then ulled outiuntil the same is properly expanl ed and then is filled with boxes. After the second shelf has been illed the third shelf is pulled out and iilled, and so on.

` shelves `colla )sed 1n succession until all vthe boxes have een removed from the entire rack. This is very convenient as it is no necessary to stoo down and place the bxes beneath the shelil? but the same may always be placed u on the top of the shelf and there are n'o she es on to pulled out or ex an ed. B this arran ement of collapsib e shelving t ierack has t e a pearance of being loaded from the top s elf at all. times. Another advantage secured is that the shelves may be placed close together and yet the boxes inserted and removed freely without any inconvenience, which would not be true if the shelving was stationary and the operator was compelled I,

of the shelf that is.

to slide the boxes in to their respective places.

What l claim is:

l. ln a rack, a framework, a pluralitVT of collapsible, shelves arranged in tiers, ars secured to said framework for sup )orting said shelves, guards arranged on t e end of said shelves, and movable means mounted on cach oi said shelves vFor preventing 'the accidental removal ol articles' therefrom.

2, In a rack, a lrameu'orl, a plurality ol independent contructiblc shelves arranged in tiers in said framework, means for supporting said shelves, a movable guard arranged on each sido of cach of said shelves, and a stationary guard secured to said framework at each end of each shelf.

3. In a rack for supportinglr packages, a framework, and a plurality of collapsibh` shelves, each of said shelves being formed with a plurality` of bars, means for connecting the same, and means for preventing an article placed thereon from being accidentally removed. l

4. In a rack for supporting articles, a frame, and a collapsible shelf, sald collapsible shelf -Tromprising a plurality of supportin bars, a flexible member connecting each o said bars, and permitting the same to be spaced apart, and means mounted on each side of said shelf for reventing the aceidental removal of articllis placed thereon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROLAND A. WILSON.

i Witnesses:

HENRY L. EIMAN, MAX APITzsoH. 

